Grab bars are utilized in bathroom applications to provide support for an individual during exit or entry in a bathtub or shower, for example. Typical grab bars include a body member that is spaced apart from, and parallel to, a wall. The grab bar has end mounts that extend toward the wall such that the grab bar can be mounted to the wall. In one example configuration, the grab bar is mounted to a tub surround or shower enclosure, which can be made from fiberglass, for example. Anchor assemblies are mounted to the shower enclosure, and the end mounts of the grab bar are then attached to the anchor assemblies.
The body member of the grab bar has a wall facing side and a front facing side that is opposite the wall facing side. A projection dimension of the grab bar, i.e. a gap between the wall facing side of the body member and a wall mount surface of the enclosure, is an important feature of an overall grab bar assembly. This projection dimension must be tightly controlled to satisfy industry standards.
Traditional anchor assemblies for grab bars in this type of environment have presented some challenges. For example, during installation of the anchor assembly, it is imported not to compress the fiberglass enclosure as this can lead to cracking. Further, these traditional end mounts have included components such as mounting brackets with wall flanges, threaded spacers, and various fasteners and washers. One disadvantage with traditional designs is that some of the mounting components can fall behind the wall during installation. Another disadvantage is that special tools are often required for installation. Further, wall flange configurations for current anchors can increase the projection dimension when installed, which is undesirable.
Thus, there is a need to provide an anchor assembly for mounting a grab bar to a shower enclosure that can be easily installed without special tools, and which maintains a desired projection dimension, as well as overcoming the other challenges presented by traditional designs discussed above.